GB2247717A - Hinge element - Google Patents

Abstract

This invention relates to hinge elements and hinges made from such elements. A hinge element 10 comprises a pair of anchor portions 11, 12 which are interconnected by a web 13 through fold lines 14 and 15, which allow the web 13 to pivot with respect the respective anchor portions 11 and 12. The hinge element is generally used in Z-shaped configuration and a number of elements can be used in combination, preferably with their webs extending in alternate directions. The anchor portions may be received in channels on the edges of panels or the like which are to be interconnected. <IMAGE>

Description

Hinge Element This invention relates to hinge elements and hinges made from said elements.

There are a number of circumstances in which it is desirable to interconnect panels edge to edge in such a way that the panels can pivot with respect to each other by approximately 3600. In these circumstances it is generally also desirable that this movement should be provided without allowing the edges of the panels to spread too far apart.

Traditionally this problem has been solved by a screen hinge. Whilst such hinges satisfy both criteria, they are extremely expensive and somewhat unreliable as the pins frequently drop out. Further they are a rather specialised item with which the public are not generally familiar and therefore they are often damaged, because the user does not appreciate that the axis of hinging can only be changed over in the neutral position of the hinge.

From one aspect there is provided a hinge element for interconnecting two panels or the like, comprising a pair of anchor portions for engaging respective panels and a central web pivotally connected to the respective portions to form, with them, a generally Z-shaped configuration.

When reference is made to the Z-shaped configuration it is not intended to limit the element to having such a configuration in every possible position of the hinge element but rather indicates that the web is arranged to pivot in opposite senses at the respective pivots between the web and the respective anchor portions.

In a preferred embodiment the anchor portions have respective base means for lying parallel to their respective panel edges and the web is connected to the opposite edges of the opposed bases. The web may be arranged to pivot through at least 1800 with respect to each base and the anchor portions may carry formations for locating their respective portions in open mouthed channels formed on the edge of the panels.

In a particularly preferred embodiment the hinge element is formed as an integral plastic moulding and the interconnections between the webs and the anchor portions are formed by fold lines within the material.

The invention also includes a hinge comprising a plurality of elements as defined above wherein the webs of at least a pair of elements are inclined in opposite directions.

Preferably the webs-of adjacent elements are inclined in opposite directions. As will be explained below the opposite inclination of at least a pair of webs restricts the separation which can occur between the panel edges. In a particularly preferred arrangement each hinge constitutes all three elements and the webs have alternate inclinations.

The invention also includes an assembly of panels interconnected by a hinge element as defined above or a hinge as defined above.

The length of the web may be less than or equal to the thickness of the panels and it may be such that, when the panels are interconnected by a hinge the maximum angle which can be attained between an anchor portion and the web is 300.

Although the invention has been defined above it is to be understood it includes any inventive combination of the features set out above or in the following description.

The invention may be performed in various ways and a specific embodiment will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a perspective view of a hinge element; Figure 2 is an end view of the hinge of Figure 1 interconnection a pair of panels; Figure 3 illustrates the panels interconnected by a hinge made up of three of the elements of Figure 1; Figure 4 is a schematic representation of a side view of that hinge in its fully spread position; and Figure 5 illustrates a panel assembly interconnected by a number of hinges.

A hinge element 10 comprises a pair of anchor portions 11,12 which are interconnected by a web 13 through fold lines 14 and 15, which allow the web 13 to pivot with respect to the respective anchor portions 11 and 12. It will be noted that the pivots constituted by the fold lines 14,15 act in opposite senses so that the hinge element 10 is generally in a Z-shaped configuration although when fully opened the web 13 and anchor portions 11,12 are substantially in line.

Each anchor portion carries formations 16,17 which can be slid into the end of an open mouthed channel having turned over lips, but which prevent withdrawal of the formations 16,17 through the mouth of the channel.

Thus turning to Figure 2 it will be seen that a pair of panels 18,19 having such channels 20,21 formed on their respective abutting edges can be interconnected by the hinge element 10 so that they lie very close together. If the hinge element 10 is integrally moulded from plastics material it is possible to arrange for this "collapsed" position of the hinge element 10 to be its preferred position so that it will tend to draw the panels 18,19 together.

It will be appreciated that by a suitable combination of rotations about the pivots formed by the fold lines 14 and 15 the panels can be moved, from the position shown in Figure 2 to a position where they lie generally parallel and in any preferred side by side combination. However the initial pivoting action about any one fold line tends to throw the panel carrying the opposite anchor portion out of alignment with the panel associated with the first mentioned fold line. This allows the panels to become separated by the full length of the web.

It is accordingly preferred that the hinge elements 10 are used to make up hinges 22 comprising a minimum of two hinge elements 10 having their webs 13 inclined in opposite senses.

The result of this combination is that the' hinge elements tend to throw the panels out of alignment in opposite directions to a equal extent with the result that the actions are effectively self-cancelling.

This arrangement is schematically shown in Figure 3 from which it will be seen that if the length of the web 13 is X and the angle between the web 13 and the base 23 of an anchor portion 11 is e than the maximum separation between the panel edges Z is defined by the formula: Z = X sin e Thus, for example, if the web length is restricted such that e cannot exceed 30e, then Z cannot exceed X/2.

Preferably the web length is, in any case, not more than the width of the panels to be interconnected.

This configuration therefore not only gives a good controlled hinging action it also limits the extent that the panels can be parted.

A practical arrangement is illustrated in Figure 4 and it will be seen that the central hinge element 10, of the group of three, is arranged in the opposite sense to the outer hinge elements.

Figure 5 shows how a number of panels 18,19 can be interconnected to form an overall display panel which can be hinged about both vertical and horizontal axes.

The distance from the centre of a panel 18,19 to the effective pivot point of the hinge or hinge element should preferably be half the panel width to enable full "360 " operation. If this distance is greater than the maximum separation of the panels allowed by the hinge is increased (as set above) and, in many cases, this is undesirable.

The fold lines 14,15 may be cut away or otherwise relieved on their. outer surfaces to increase pivoting precision about a particular line.

Claims (13)

1. A hinge element for interconnecting two panels or the like comprising a pair of anchor portions for engaging respective panels and a central web pivotally connected to the respective portions to form, with them, a generally Zshaped configuration.

2. An element as claimed in Claim 1, wherein the anchor portions have respective base means for lying parallel to their respective panel edges and the web is connected to opposite edges of the opposed bases.

3. An element as claimed in Claim 1 or Claim 2, wherein the web can pivot at least through 1800 with respect to each base.

4. An element as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the anchor portions carry formations for locating the respective portions on open mouthed channels formed on the edge of the panels.

5. An element as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the element is an integral plastics moulding.

6. A hinge element substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

7. A hinge comprising a plurality of elements as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the webs of at least a pair of elements are inclined in opposite directions.

8. A hinge as claimed in Claim 7, wherein there are three elements and the webs have alternate inclinations.

9. A hinge element substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figures 3 to 5 of the accompanying drawings.

10. An assembly of panels interconnected by a hinge element as claimed in any one of Claims 1 to 6 or a hinge as claimed in any one of Claims 7 to 9.

11. An assembly as claimed in Claim 10, wherein the length of the web is less than or equal to the thickness of the panels.

12. An assembly as claimed in Claim 10, wherein the panels are interconnected by a hinge and the web length is such that the maximum angle which can be attained between an anchor portion and the web is 30".

13. An assembly as hereinbefore described with reference to Figures 2 to 5 of the accompanying drawings.